Eating well

Many scientists and nutrition experts believe our bodies just haven’t evolved to deal with modern convenience foods. At least one hundred thousand generations of people were hunter-gatherers; then five hundred generations depended on agriculture, only ten generations have lived since the industrial revolution, and only two generations have grown up with highly processed fast foods. There has simply not been time for our bodies to adapt to such a dramatic change.

So the best thing we can do for our health is ditch modern convenience foods and eat like captain caveman. Eating like our cave dwelling ancestors who lived on a nutritious diet of fruit, vegetables, lean meat and pulses and cereals is the best thing we can do for our health.

But you don’t need to don a loincloth and start carrying a club with you to Sainsbury’s just yet. Click here for some tips to follow.

Quick guide to healthy eating
To make sure that your family are eating healthily try to eat more fruit, veg and cereals, and less fat, salt and sugar. Another key element of a healthy diet is variety – not only does it make our food look interesting on the plate, but by picking different coloured fruit and veg - red, green, yellow, white and purple - each day, we can make sure we are getting a wide mix of nutrients.

Ditch the fads – healthy eating is about common sense. We could all go a long way towards optimum health by following three simple guidelines:

• Eat those five portions of fruit and veg a day (one portion can be fruit juice).
• Eat a bowl of breakfast cereal every day – avoiding cereals with added salt or sugar.
• At mealtimes fill a third of your plate with rice, pasta and/or potatoes, a third with veg and the other third with protein sources such as meat, fish, cheese, eggs, tofu, etc.

Getting your five-a-day
To help you calculate whether you’re getting your five-a-day, it’s useful to know that a portion is approximately 80g, equivalent to a medium apple or banana, a bowl of mixed salad, half a grapefruit, a handful of grapes, two to three tablespoons of vegetables (raw, cooked, frozen or canned), a slice of melon, 10 radishes, three sticks of celery, 20 raspberries or fruit juice.

For more information about what we all need to eat to keep healthy see:
www.5ADAY.nhs.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/health/healthy_living/nutrition/index.shtml
www.iwant2bhealthy.com/diet_nutrition/basics/index.shtml
www.foodstandards.gov.uk/healthiereating/

Healthy kids
We all know our little ones need a good diet. To keep them in tip-top condition give them:

• lots of fruit and vegetables – at least five portions a day
• moderate amounts of meat, fish, eggs, beans and lentils
• moderate amounts of dairy products
• small amounts of fatty or sugary foods

The 5ADAY website has animations, a wallchart, fun things for kids to do and some super smoothies to make.
The Food Standards Agency have loads more info about children and nutrition – for each stage from babies to teens.

Disclaimer
All content in the Healthy Ideas section is for general information only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your GP if you are concerned about your health. SPAN is not responsible or liable for any actions taken by a user of this site. SPAN is not liable for the contents of any external sites listed, nor does it endorse any advice, products or services mentioned on these sites.